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Imario Susilo
Imario Susilo is a concept artist for Champions Online. "Meet the Team" Interview Q: What do you do as a concept artist for Champions Online? A: As a concept artist it is my job to create the characters that will appear in Champions Online. I do some work on props and equipment too. I work closely with Art Development Director Shayne Herrera to follow the artistic vision for Champions Online, and with the character artists to ensure that my concepts aren't too complicated to re-create in the game. Q: What is your typical workday like? A: '''I skate to work, grab a cup of coffee, and draw, draw, draw. Then I paint and paint and paint, and eat some frozen food. I bounce ideas with (concept artist) Josh Guglielmo, and then we talk about who would win a fight between Tank Abbot and Kimo. I draw, draw, draw and paint, paint, paint. And then on the way home I think "MAN, TODAY WAS AWESOME! I can't wait for tomorrow!" '''Q: How long have you worked in the gaming industry, and what did you do before working on Champions Online? A: I've been here for three months and counting. Before working on Champions Online, I worked in New York City as a character designer for animation – I've done work on shows for Disney, Nickelodeon and MTV. Q: What do you think about the Champions Online "look"? A: '''As a comic book fan, I feel that if someday I could jump into the comic panel and beat up monsters with my humongous biceps, I imagine that would be very similar to playing Champions Online. I really think the team has done an excellent job creating such a great game. '''Q. What is your process to create a character for the game? A: When I get a request to create a character, the first thing I do is go to the Champions books. If it is an existing character, I study how it is represented in the IP, and then I talk to Shayne about the artistic vision for the character and what he wants to see. I'll bounce ideas off other artists and designers too. Then it's research. We have a library of art books here at Cryptic, but for some things I go to the Internet. If a character is supposed to have an awesome chain gun, for example, I'll look up weapons to find one that's a good example. I do all my drawing and painting on the computer, using a Wacom Cintiq tablet. It takes a day or two to complete a concept. Then I'll get feedback and requests for changes, and we'll work on it until it's perfect. Q: What are some of your favorite characters you've worked on for Champions Online? A: Mechassassin is awesome, but my favorites so far are the Irradiates. Q: Who are your favorite artists? A: '''Iain McCaig, Justin Sweet, Doug Chiang, Dermot Power, Claire Wendling, Rembrandt, John Singer Sargent and my dad. (Seriously, my old man can draw stick figures better than I can!) '''Q: If you had to live on one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? A: Ramen noodles, of course! Q: What superpower would you want to have? A: '''I want the power of not paying bills. '''Q: What do you like to do in your free time? A: Surfing and eating. I learned to surf in Santa Cruz, so I'm really glad to be back here and close to the beach again. I don't own a TV, so that leaves lots of time for other things. Q: What is something interesting about you that players would be surprised to know? A: I'm seven feet tall and people on the basketball court call me Yao Ming. And I grew up in Indonesia, but I've lived in the U.S. since I was in high school. Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to become a professional artist? A: '''Draw, draw, draw and paint, paint, paint. Learn as much as possible. Be critical, be open-minded and drink your milk. '''Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? '''A: '''I'm really lucky to work with great talents and nice people at Cryptic Studios. I learn everyday, and I'm growing as an artist. Sources Champions Online Official Site category:developers